Groomstock 2010 - October 9-10, 2010

Join us for a free public campout and hike at
Tikaboo Peak (Area 51 viewpoint),
Oct. 9-10, 2010
THE WHOLE WORLD is invited to a free public camp-out and hike at Tikaboo Peak, the last remaining public viewpoint into the secret Area 51 base in Nevada.

Tikaboo Peak is an 8000-foot mountain about 2-1/2 hours north of Las Vegas. It is indistinguishable from other local mountains except that it offers an unobstructed view of the secret military base at Groom Lake (albeit from 26 miles away). Getting there requires a 2-1/2-hour drive on paved and dirt roads and a strenuous 1-2 hour hike to the summit. We will be camping in the desert near the
trailhead on Saturday night (Oct. 9) and making the hike on Sunday morning (Oct. 10). You are free to join us for one or both events.

This is the same hike portrayed (with some dramatic license) on UFO Hunters and MysteryQuest on the History Channel. The hike itself is a little over a mile and ascends from an elevation of 7000 feet to 8000 feet. The trail is steep, rocky and unmaintained but not dangerous in itself. The main burden is the altitude. Most people who exercise regularly can handle it, but couch potatoes and smokers may see their life pass before their eyes.

For more information, including meeting time and place, see Event Announcment

(A Facebook event page will be coming soon!)

Public Hike of Tikaboo Peak on October 10 - Good idea???

I'm thinking of putting together a FREE PUBLIC HIKE of Tikaboo Peak on Sunday, Oct. l0, 2010 -- but before I commit myself, I want to get people's feedback and gauge if there is sufficient interest.

NOTE: This is currently a PROPOSAL only! Wait until a formal announcement around Sept. 1 before making any plans!

Tikaboo Peak is the last remaining vantage point on public land where you can still see the Area 51 base. (The base is very small and distant--26 miles away--but you can see the main buildings and runway.) The hike requires a 90 minute drive from Las Vegas on paved roads, followed by a 45 minute drive on good dirt roads, then a hike of 1-1/2 to 2 hours (and 1000 feet elevation change) on a primitive trail. Experienced hikers in good shape will find it a breeze, but most people (especially sea level dwellers) regard the hike as strenuous.

It would be just like the old days! The whole world would be invited, but because the location is remote, the whole world isn't likely to come. At the peak of the Area 51 hype in the 1990s, no more than 20-30 people would come to these hikes.

I'm targeting Oct. 10, because I've already agreed to do a hike then and it's the perfect time of year for it. This also happens to be the weekend of a big Renaissance Faire in Las Vegas, one of the best in all the land. See http://LvRenFair.com . On Friday night and Saturday, I expect to attend the faire (dressed as a mere peasant), and perhaps you'd like to, too! See my past photos.

I normally conduct these tours for a fee (See my webpage.), but if I invited the whole world, I would waive the fee for everyone. It would be free! (apart from the significant expense of getting there)

There would be two possible ways we could meet up: (1) We could meet at the paved highway (US 93 south of Alamo) at a certain time Saturday evening, then we would all drive to the trailhead and camp there, doing the hike in the morning. Or (2), We could meet at the paved highway early on Sunday morning, and convoy up to the trailhead for the hike. (#1 sounds more fun, but I want your feedback. Camping in these parts is easy: All you need is a sleeping bag and an air mattress. In either case, people arriving later would be given instructions on how to find us.)

After the hike, there would be an optional journey into the Tikaboo Valley (to wave at the border guards), and some people may want to go on to Rachel.

I'll decide around Sept. 1 whether I'm going to go ahead with this public invitation. If I do, I'll put it up as an event on Facebook as well as posting it on this here blog. That would give everyone plenty of time to plan their travel. The invitation would include detailed directions and information.

What do you think?

Glenn Campbell - email: glenn {at} kilroycafe.com